NEWS

ProSkills2Work and IPS-BAS Organise the ECSR Fall School in Sofia

From 6 to 9 October 2026, Sofia hosts the ECSR Fall School 2026 / ProSkills2Work International Workshop “Education and Employment in Europe”. The event is organised by the ProSkills2Work project, the European Consortium for Sociological Research (ECSR), the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IPS-BAS),...
Proskills2work Research on Dual Apprenticeship in Bulgaria Presented at the 10th INAP Conference in Konstanz
On 24–25 September 2026, Prof. Christian Imdorf, ProSkills2Work ERA Chair holder, and Prof. Rumiana Zheleva, DSc, Senior Researcher on the ProSkills2Work team, took part in the 10th Research Conference of INAP, "Apprenticeships: surviving, reviving, thriving"....
Prof. Christian Imdorf Presents the Project’s Objectives, Research Approach and First Steps in an Interview With Bulgarian Science.
A special focus is placed on the longitudinal study that will follow the educational and professional pathways of more than 6,500 young people in Bulgaria. The interview is in Bulgarian....
Proskills2work Joins Initiative on the Sustainability of Era Chair Projects in Bulgaria
ProSkills2Work was among three ERA Chair projects of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences presented at an event focused on the sustainability of newly established research teams and the development of research capacity in Bulgaria. Participants called for sustainable national mechanisms that would allow the achievements of the projects to continue...
ERA Chair in Bulgaria: Contribution to Society and Challenges for the Future
An event presenting three projects under the ERA Chair mechanism of the Horizon Europe Programme, implemented by institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. On 29 September 2026 at 10:30 a.m., in the Marin Drinov Hall, BAS Central Building, and online....
The Transition from Education to Employment in Bulgaria: A Quantitative Panel Study
Fourth Research Seminar. Neha Basnet, a junior researcher on the project at the IPS-BAS, will present “The Transition from Education to Employment in Bulgaria: A Quantitative Panel Study” on September 3, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at IPS-BAS, 4 Serdika St., and online....
ProSkills2Work Research Presented at the 24th BCES Conference
Dr Lucy Hunt presented findings on inequalities in school-to-work transitions among young people in Central and Eastern Europe....
The Third Research Seminar: New Evidence on the Relationship Between Soft Skills and Wages
New research presented by Dr. Svetlomir Zdravkov challenges conventional assumptions about the value of soft skills in the labour market....
New BERA Blog Series Highlights Inclusive Approaches to Refugee Education
A special collection of articles explores how education can challenge stereotypes and support the inclusion of young people seeking sanctuary....
Do Soft Skills Really Pay? Evidence from Bulgarian Job Advertisements.
Third Research Seminar: Svetlomir Zdravkov will present his research on whether soft skills are rewarded in the Bulgarian labour market. Drawing on evidence from 24,181 job advertisements, the study examines how employers value soft skills and under what conditions they translate into higher wages....
Participation in the ESREA Conference “Adult Learning and Education: Widening the Scope for Action” in Hamburg, Germany
The paper highlighted social justice, civic skills, and the broader role of adult education in strengthening democratic societies....
ProSkills2Work Held the Second Project Advisory Board Meeting in Sofia
The event brought together international experts, researchers, and stakeholders to discuss the project’s progress, strategic development, future research activities, and the establishment of the Youth Sounding Board and the Bulgarian Observatory of Education and Work....
Call for applications for the autumn school within the ProSkills2Work project. Extended Deadline – 17 May.
Extended deadline - 17 May. October 6-9, 2026. The theme is the relationship between education and employment in Europe – transitions from education to work, social inequalities, institutional differences between countries, the impact of automation, artificial intelligence, and new forms of work....
IPS-BAS Team Launches Large-Scale National Study on Professional Skills within the ProSkills2Work Project
Within the framework of the project, a team from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences has launched a nationally representative empirical study among students in the final stage of secondary education....
Kyustendil – a Small Capital of Sociology for a Few Days

The Spring School for early-career researchers and doctoral students, organised within the ProSkills2Work project, brought together 21 participants in Kyustendil – seven established professors and 13 emerging sociologists from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Romania, Serbia, and Sweden. Over the course of four days, the programme...
Second Research Seminar
At this seminar, Lucy Hunt (postdoctoral researcher in the ProSkills2Work project, IPS-BAS) will present on the topic: “A Comparative Analysis of School-to-Work Transitions among Majority and Minority Youth: A Review of the Scientific Literature and the Development of a Qualitative Panel Study within the ProSkills2Work Project.”...
Doctoral Seminar #6
Martina Nordqvist-Färnskog (PhD student at Linköping University, Sweden) will present her paper: Interstitial Spaces, Shifting Rhythms - Rethinking Time and Place in Adult Language Education for Migrants. 27 February 2026 (Friday), 11:00–12:00, in person and online...
Doctoral Seminar No. 5
The PhD student Helena Geisler will present a paper on "Importance and Construction of Fit to Team, Organisation and Supervisor in Hiring: A Mixed Method Study". 23 January 2026 (Friday) from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ЕЕТ online....
Season’s Greetings from ProSkills2Work!
The ProSkills2Work project, implemented by the IPS-BAS, wishes all colleagues, partners, and friends a joyful Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2026!...
Call for Applications – Project-based PhD Positions
The Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IPS-BAS) is pleased to invite applications for three project-based PhD positions within its Project 101183817 - ProSkills2Work - Progressing Promising Skills to Work in Bulgaria, implemented by the IPS and funded by the Horizon Europe....
Extended Deadline for the Applications for ProSkills2Work Spring School in March 2026
New deadline: 7 December 2025. Early-career researchers are wanted for the ProSkills2Work Spring School. Bulgaria, outside the capital, 16-19 March 2026...